


When He's Least Expected

by SlantedKnitting



Series: merlin memory month 2019 [7]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Gen, Modern Era, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-10 03:33:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18930436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlantedKnitting/pseuds/SlantedKnitting
Summary: Merlin's just trying to go work. He doesn't want to have to deal with this false promise of Arthur's return. Again.





	When He's Least Expected

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [Merlin Memory Month](https://merlinmemorymonth.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr.
> 
> Day 7, Path 2: Calm

Merlin remained calm. This wasn't the first hallucination he'd had, and it probably wouldn't be the last, and he just had to get through it. It would fade soon enough if he ignored it.

"Merlin," the apparition said urgently. "Merlin!"

Merlin continued walking down the pavement. He didn't want to be late for work.

"Merlin!" the vision said, his voice demanding and familiar. "Look at me!"

Merlin closed his eyes for a moment. All he wanted to do was get through his day without having a breakdown.

"Merlin?" The spectre grabbed his arm, and Merlin gasped.

None of his hallucinations had ever touched him before. None of them had been able to. On the rare occasion that Merlin tried, his hand phased right through them.

But this one—this one was holding onto Merlin with a firm grip.

"Let me go," Merlin whispered, not wanting to attract attention by talking to himself.

"Not until you look at me."

Merlin took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to see.

He turned, and there Arthur was, standing next to him like he hadn't been dead for a thousand and a half years.

"Don't you remember me?" Arthur asked, his brow furrowed.

Merlin swallowed heavily. Normally his hallucinations were more concerned with reenacting their grisly death scenes than trying to engage him in conversation. And they weren't usually so solid-looking. And they were certainly never dressed in modern-day clothing.

"Excuse me," Merlin said to the next person who passed him by. "Do you see this man here?"

The stranger nodded, looking confused.

"Thanks," Merlin said, watching the stranger walk away.

He focused on his breathing, trying to stay calm, trying to convince himself this wasn't what it looked like, what it felt like, what it very well seemed to be.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked, his tone concerned.

Merlin stopped walking and looked over, taking in the full picture. Arthur was wearing a blue suit and a red tie. He was carrying a briefcase. He was wearing fancy pointed leather shoes. And he was real.

"Arthur?"

Arthur's worried expression dissolved into one of relief. "You remember."

"You—how—what?"

Arthur grinned. "I don't know," he said. "And I don't care. It's you, isn't it?" He let go of Merlin's arm, only to replace his hand on Merlin's shoulder and give it a rough squeeze. "It's really you."

"It's me."

Arthur pulled him in for a hug, and Merlin lost his grip on calm. He sobbed, holding tightly onto Arthur, not caring that they were in the middle of the pavement during rush hour.

Arthur was back. Arthur was _here_ , with him. Arthur was real again.

"Hey," Arthur said soothingly, petting Merlin's hair. "You're all right."

Merlin sniffed and pulled away to wipe his eyes. "How are you here?" he asked. "How did you find me?"

"I just saw you," Arthur said. "Right in front of me like a dream." He paused and licked his lips. "I dream about you all the time."

"Me, too. I didn't think this was possible."

"It is. Apparently." Arthur took a step back and straightened out his suit. "Where are you going?"

"Work," Merlin said, and it was wonderous that something as banal as _work_ could exist in a world where Arthur was back. "You?"

"Same. Want to ditch?"

"Yeah," Merlin said, grinning. He may never go back to work again, if spending time with Arthur was the alternative. "Where do you want to go?"

"My hotel's around the corner. We can grab breakfast, catch up."

"Catch up?" Merlin repeated, the thought absurd. He had 1,500 years worth of experience to catch Arthur up on.

"I assume you've done something with all this time," Arthur teased. "I've got about thirty years under my belt, but I imagine you've got a bit longer."

"Why would you think that?"

Arthur gave Merlin a look. "You've got magic."

Merlin's breath caught in his throat. He hadn't thought about his magic in years. It had no place in the modern world.

Except, now with Arthur returned, maybe it would. Maybe Merlin would be able to access it again. Maybe he could be made whole, now that Arthur was here.

"Hotel, then," he decided. He was ready to see what was possible. He was ready to live his life with Arthur again. "Breakfast and catching up. Let's do it."

Arthur smiled and, linking his arm with Merlin's in a way that felt intimate and new, led Merlin to his hotel.


End file.
